Wonderland
by Datura Writii
Summary: Alis wanders off for a leisurely walk when a strange, possibly albino, man kidnaps her for "her own coronation" as a queen in the upside-down land of Wonderland. There she encounters too many strange things, including a set of rowdy twins, a gryphon, a dormouse, a hare, and a mad hatter. Will she find her way out or will Wonderland keep her forever?
1. Alis

**Author's Notes **l _So Wonderland is based on Lewis Carol's amazing book __Alice in Wonderland__. Creative title, I know. I really don't like how everyone in the movie industry took the idea and ran with it, although the newest version was pretty epic. So this is based entirely on the book and some might bleed into the sequel, __Through the Looking Glass__, possibly. I did twist some of the characters, humanizing and changing their positively mad behaviors, and naturally I added in a new character, the main character. If you find an error, please take the time to notify me if you can. Reviews, requests, and critiques are more than welcome. Enjoy._

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own __Alice in Wonderland__, __Through the Looking Glass__, any of their characters, Lewis Carol, the idea that this book is based of off, or any of you readers. Actually I do own you all. You're mine._

"You simply must be back for the tea party at five o'clock sharp, Alis. You know how important it is to me that you're here!" Mary was already scolding something I hadn't even done yet. If you ask me, she was worrying over a matter she would solve like she always did. Day in and day out, she would always complain about her tragic life of fixing my "many mistakes." Honestly, she's just exaggerating my habit of attending meetings I do not want to even arrive at, let alone stay. Mary was my only friend, and elder by three years. She thought since she was nineteen she could take care of both of us and act as my older sister, but I did what I wanted and took care of myself.

"Yes, yes. Tea party at five past five." I sang, grinning with my back turned to her. Her response was an exasperated sigh and a slight, dainty stomp. Mary was always one for tea parties and fancy dresses, and of course, etiquette. Even raised in an orphanage, she somehow became a proper young lady within the sea of rowdy children. When she was kicked from the dreaded place on her eighteenth birthday, she adopted me legally so we could continue sticking together. Naturally I was grateful, but she had become more clingy and motherly as she had gotten older.

I made my way out of the cottage we resided in and trailed through the path in the forest. Sporting a light pink dress only a few embellishments short of a ball gown, I knew I looked dreadfully out of place. But it was the only kind of attire Mary would so graciously allow me to wear, so looking out of sorts was a common occurrence.

Pushing such sour thoughts towards Mary out of my head, I sighed and continued on, keeping my head high and shoulders back. Slouching seemed more uncomfortable than standing straight these days, with all the mannerisms of Mary pounded into me. When I was sure I was out of sight, I chucked my awful, blister-creating shoes into a berry bush to find later on my way back to the cottage. At promptly six o'clock, of course. The cool soil felt blissfully smooth against my sore feet.

"Elizabeth! You are going to be late!" A warm hand grabbed my wrist and yanked me forward, causing me to stumble from my ponderings and into the arm of an old man. My head snapped up in surprise to find two pinkish eyes, one covered in the glass of a monocle, glaring down at me. "Oh, and look at your hair, you've dyed it blonde! Do you know what bleach does to those beautiful locks of yours? Why don't you like black anymore?" I blinked at him dumbly, shrinking back like a berated child.

"My name's not Elizabeth, sir." I noted his pale skin and white hair, along with the pink he was albino. He peered at me, shifting his monocle. I blinked again and noticed his nose twitching, as if he had to scratch it, or he was about to sneeze. I stole a glance to the cottage, calculating the chances of running. But his hand was still iron-like around my wrist, almost bruising.

"Oh Elizabeth, stop playing games." He said sharply, tugging at my dress to straighten its wrinkles and looking me over. "You could pass for a servant, barely. Where on earth did you scavenge that gown from?" My indignant gasp was shooed away as he ushered me into the forest, off the path.

"Sir, I am not Elizabeth and I do not want you to kidnap me!" I huffed, trying to claim my arm back. He ignored me and stopped in front of an old, hollow tree.

"Elizabeth, the coronation starts at ten o'clock and I shall not have you miss it." He chided me as he guided me to a gaping hole in the gnarled bark.

"Sir I am not going to let you shove me into a tree!" I said, horrified. I tensed up as he pushed me into the space, gasping when I landed not on the dusty, splintery cave, but in a hazy stair case, spiraling down to a purple light. Before I could ask, the old man was prompting me down every step with a renewed speed. I stumbled on the steep stairs, losing my balance and teetering to the left, toward the wall.

"Elizabeth, you klutz!" The old man made a move to grab me, but his oversized foot stomped on mine and I fell to the other side, off the stairs. A scream escaped my lips as I tried desperately to grab on to something, but I kept falling faster and faster. The old man's echoed calls bounced about me, something akin to "Not again!" I neared the purple illumination with each millisecond. Squeezing my eyes shut, I prayed it would end quickly for me.

"Miss, I'm sorry to interrupt your falling, but it has stopped." My eyes snapped open to find two stout, fat boys with the same face. I looked down in surprise to find a clean, tiled floor only inches below. As soon as the thought that I was floating crossed my mind, I fell softly.

"Where am I?" I groaned, drawing myself up and stealing glances around. The lighting of the room was provided by purple flames in sconces, sitting in each corner of the hexagonal room. There seemed to be curtains but no windows, an oddity that stood out the most.

"You're in…"

"the door room." They looked up at me expectantly, four big eyes shining. The twins seemed to be eight, with rounded features and a rambunctious aura. Their big heads were about to my waist, but their girth stretched as wide as my dress.

"Then where is the door?" I deadpanned, looking around once more. No door. The two looked at each other and hobbled to one of the curtains, drawing it back to reveal a door as small as my palm, sitting stout and secret behind its shroud.

"It's hidden so…"

"no one unwelcome can enter."

"Enter where? And so does that mean I'm welcome?" I inquired, shaking my head. The twins' switching talk was confusing me, as I couldn't focus on either one.

"Enter Wonderland, of course."

"And we approved you, so you are welcome." The boys beamed up at me, each twin taking one of my hands in both their chubby fingers.

"So that brings up the question…How do I enter?" My curiosity piqued, my day free until five, or six, o'clock, and undoubtedly an albino, elderly man following me, a hasty escape to the "Wonderland" seemed like an excellent idea. The only problem was that there was no way I could enter.

"The potion…"

"naturally." They pointed simultaneously to something behind me. With a quick inspection, I found that a table had miraculously appeared in the middle of the room, bearing a small glass bottle filled to the top with a pale blue liquid. I looked incredulously at the pair, then back at the bottle.

"I just have to drink this?" They nodded and strolled past me, taking a sip each in way of smug example. Their height melted before my eyes until they could have fit in my hands.

"Come…"

"along!" Their nasally and high pitched calls sounded from my feet as I cautiously took the bottle and sipped from the potion. It tasted like what I think a flower would, and slid down my throat like grease. I held back a small choking sound and placed the bottle on the quickly heightening table. Before long I was the same height as the twins.

"Oh come now,"

"you took too big of a sip!"

"Do you…"

"know anything?" I sighed in slight despair to their harsh teasing and followed them to the door.

"Right."

"The key?" The twin closest to the door held out his fat hand, turning to me.

"What key?" I stared at his hand, wondering what he was demanding from me. The only key I owned was to the cottage, and it was fastened around my neck, under my dress's neck line. They couldn't have seen it.

"They key to the door?"

"On the table?" They looked at me once again, expressions going from playful to slightly pestered. I turned my head with doe-like eyes to the table, where, sure enough, there was a small bronze key, perched at the edge. I smiled apologetically at the two and rushed to the table's leg, where I climbed to the top. My plan burned pitifully when I noticed I had no way to go from the bottom of the table to the top, as the legs were attached to the dead center of the underside.

"What on earth…"

"are you doing?" I growled quietly and grumbled up to the wood of the table, not wanting to glance down and lose my sudden courage and gain a fear of heights.

"I am trying to get the key, thank you very much."

"Just eat…"

"the cake."

"What cake?" I asked, sliding slowly down the sloping leg. As soon as my feet touched the floor I met the two's eyes, glad I was back at ground level.

"This one." The twin who talked held out a cake the same size as him, as well as me, and deposited it at my feet.

"Do not take such…"

"a big amount this time." I broke loose a crumb from the middle of the white cake and chewed it, stepping out from under the table. Sure enough, the table shrunk and I grabbed the key, dropping it on the boy's heads ungraciously. They scrambled about and lifted it onto their shoulders, one taking the key's loop an one taking the teeth. I took another sip of the potion, still waiting upon the table, and sighed in relief as I finally shrunk down to my normal size, from what I judged from the twins' height.

"Let's go then…" I frowned and glanced worriedly at the stairs, hoping the fuming albino wouldn't be done strutting down the stairs. His cross voice echoed slightly louder, but I was sure we would have enough time for my escape. The twins scuttled off without another shared word, key firmly grasped in their sweating hands. I followed quickly, picking my dress up to avoid stepping on it. It was a wonder the thing had grown and shrunk with me.

The key was set up by its teeth by the pair while one pressed an invisible spot on the smooth metal. I watched in wonder as another, much smaller key popped out from the junction of the loop and shaft. I leapt forward to catch it before it clattered to the floor and with another of the twin's forceful prompts, slid it into the door. There was a dainty click, and the wooden entrance swung open readily.

"Welcome…"  
"to Wonderland!"


	2. Trapped in Wonderland

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own Alice in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass, any of their characters, Lewis Carol, the idea that this book is based of off, or any of you readers. Though I wish I did._

The first thing that met my eyes was the beautiful garden. A ballet seemed to be taking place there. Twirling women with solemn, composed faces pranced across the pansies, roses, and violets, the only audience. My eyes followed the path leading from the garden to the door, where I was standing, and traced the other way, which led to a purple forest. Branching from that path were many others, another leading to a field, where it stretched across the expanse until it went over a hill and out of sight. The sky was a beautiful, sea blue that rippled with clouds.

"Elizabeth!" I whirled around to the voice, which belonged to no other than the old man. I shrank back behind the twins, ducking down. "Honestly!" He stormed over, parting the twins while ignoring their protests and dragged me to my feet.

"I am not Elizabeth!" I struggled from his grip, the twins taking the hint and moving in. One bounced on the man's giant foot with his enormous weight, causing the albino to shout and crouch over. The other then kicked his now accessible head, bringing the old man down. "Thank you." I sighed gratefully, patting the twins' unruly red hair.

"You are…"

"quite welcome." They panted slightly, the exertion obviously a bit too hard. While the two leaned on each other and caught their breath, I continued my wide-eyed inspection, keeping tabs on the old man's motionless form. The whole area of Wonderland seemed claustrophobic, even though the sky stretched and not one wall was in sight. The feeling was unwelcome, I ached to go home, back up the stairs.

"Elizabeth," a disappointed groan sounded behind me, apparently also just arriving from the door. I spun around in anger, once again, as to who kept calling me Elizabeth. "You dyed your hair again." A woman with cropped, purple hair and a low but smooth voice and a purple business suit stood before me, looking down on me. "And goodness, where did you get that dress?" I huffed and glared up at her.

"I am not Elizabeth. I did not dye my hair. And I happen to love this dress." Ouch, the last one was a lie. Sorry, Mary. "My name is Alis." I added extra despise to my stare and the woman blinked.

"Are you really giving yourself nicknames now?" She straightened some papers in her arms nonchalantly. My face fell into one of disbelief. Apparently not being Elizabeth was not an option. "You need to get to the coronation. And now I have to get Sebastian off the ground." She frowned at the limp body at the twins' feet. They smiled up impishly at her.

"I really am not Elizabeth, you have the wrong person." I told her once again, helping her heave the unconscious man to his unwilling feet. The woman ignored me and slapped his white cheek, procuring a slurred groan and the fluttering of his white eyelashes.

"Elizabeth's new friends have quite the painful punch." The twins grinned proudly and skipped off. My hand involuntarily reached for my saviors, inwardly screaming at the thought of being left to the two loons conversing behind me.

"We need to get her to the coronation."

"She is being uncooperative in her older age."

"That simply will not do." The woman turned to me and smiled, a blinding, sharp-toothed smile. "Elizabeth, the coronation is starting in three hours. It takes an hour to get to the castle. And at least four to get you back to the princess we know and love…Black hair, beautiful dress…no identity crisis…" My hands curled into fists.

"Wait, Elizabeth is a princess?" My clenched fingers dropped again as I stared. How was I being confused with a princess?

"Now she's talking in third person! Honestly!" The woman threw her hands up in the air, stalking off to one of the paths, her heels clicking on the stone with a certain finality. Sebastian, I think it was, guided me in the direction she had stormed off in. I frowned and followed, knowing I couldn't escape his iron grip without the aid of the twins or the stairs.

"Elizabeth, you need to go to the coronation. We can't have you not attend, that would cause trouble with the citizens." Sebastian droned on about why I had to go, but I tuned him out. This wasn't fair, why did I have to go? All I wanted to do was go home. My lower lip jutted out in a slight pout as I was lead into the purple forest, the woman blending in uncannily with the bark and leaves of the trees.

"So who is getting crowned at this 'coronation'?" I emphasized the word in a haughty tone, mocking my escorts. Both their heads snapped back at me, disbelieving.

"Your own!" They shouted at the same time.

"What?!" My mouth popped open, and I took a step back.

"You're being married to the prince of the Spade Kingdom, therefore crowning you queen and him king! Oh, Elizabeth, how could you forget?" The purple-clad figure fell upon me, shaking my shoulders. I simply looked at her in horror, dumbstruck.

"_Me?_"

"Yes, you. Now hurry along or we'll be late!" Sebastian grabbed my elbow, urging me into motion. I let out an animalistic growl and socked him right in the twitchy, pinkish nose. Blood gushed out and he fell to the ground, moaning pitifully. I'd had enough of this. The woman in purple pounced on me with surprising speed and used her nails, sharp as her suspicious teeth, to rip four nasty lines down my dress, slicing into my thigh.

"You need to learn manners, princess. This is the last straw!" This was a bad idea. I struggled away from her nipping, feline teeth and ran, tripping on my dress's shreds. Before I could get up, the woman's claws were upon me again. I screamed, kicked at her and flailing onto my back in hopes of pushing her off. As I got leverage to drive my feet into her stomach, she was gone in a purple and gold blur, a yowl tearing into the forest. I scrambled onto my feet, wincing as my leg kindly reminded me it was hurt.

"So you dyed your hair again, princess?" I drew my attention from the blood seeping through the pink fabric to see a leg clad in a rich brown. I glanced up in surprise to see a tall, young man. His shaggy hair was a honey blond, his eyes yellow-green, and his lips a curious bright orange. He wore black boots, brown leggings, a golden shirt, and the strangest; a black cape that seemed to be made of feathers. It rustled as he took a step toward me, offering me a hand up from my crouched position.

"I'm sorry…but I'm not Elizabeth like everyone seems to think I am. I'm only Alis, I'm not a princess." I explained for the umpteenth time.

"Well then, Alis, you are a very far way from home." His bright lips cracked into a smile as he saw my dumbfounded expression.

"You're the first one who has taken my word for it." I shook my head, limping away from him a few steps to lean on a nearby tree. "Thank you, for saving me from that purple menace."

"Of course." He waved my gratitude away, peering at Sebastian, who was still whimpering on the path. The blood oozing from his nose had long ago stopped, but he seemed to be traumatized. I was startled by the man's sudden cawing laugh. "The Queen of Hearts is going to love the damage done to her beloved pets." He slyly shifted his gaze to me, feigning a pondering expression. "Now what are we going to do with you?"

"I'd much rather go home than stay here…" I trailed off, eyeing the spot my feline attacker had fallen, starting when it was empty. The young man turned his attention to something just to the left of my head, sending shivers down my back.

"Miss Cheshire, the Queen of Hearts has been calling for you and your escort while you were unconscious. You shouldn't let your temper get the better of you, hmm?" I squeaked softly and turned to see the catty woman leering over me, a sullen look on her face.

"Sebastian, we must go." She snapped, brushing past me with a harsh bump to my shoulder. "Gryphon, you best take the princess to the coronation. You seem to have better luck with her." With that the busybody he called Cheshire grabbed Sebastian's arm and the pair vanished, foot to head in a mere second. "And don't you dare go taking her to the Duchess, Gryphon." Her voice echoed across the forest, standing the hairs on the back of my neck on end. The boy tapped his foot two times and twirled back to me, his cape swishing about his frame.

"We have time until the coronation. Unfortunately, Alis, the door is a one way trip." I felt my face morph into one of horror, thinking over the horrible possibility of staying forever in this placid nightmare. "But if we can get you to the east side of Wonderland, surely at least one of the four Chess royals could help." He held out his hand, nails sharpened like the Cheshire's, but painted black. I carefully took it once again and he hooked his arm in mine, leading me down a branching path I could have sworn wasn't there before.

"If the east can help, does that mean we are in the west side of Wonderland?" I asked, trying proper conversation even as my heart was doing little fluttering summersaults in my chest. Being this close to a young man was something I had never done before, and it didn't help that he was so attractive…

"We are in the middle of Wonderland, the common lands where the door rests. To the East rests the two Chess Kingdoms. To the West, the four Card Kingdoms. The South has the one Candy Kingdom, and to the North there are wastelands, where the beasties like the Mock Turtle, the Bandersnatch, and the Jabberwocky live."

"How long will it be until I can go back home, if the Chess royals help?" I asked, grimacing when a protruding branch caught my dress and tore it.

"The coronation will have to be a necessity, I'm afraid." An exasperated sigh left me before I could stop it.

"I do not plan to get married."

"If you don't, the Queen of Hearts will be after you."

"But I am not Elizabeth! I can't marry someone I don't know!"

"But Elizabeth doesn't know the Spade Prince either." I stared at the ground, speechless. Gryphon's steady steps continued through the forest, eerily quiet. Finally I collected my thoughts.

"So…" My voice only came out as a whisper. "I must get married to get out of here? Basically?"

"Yes." He purred slightly, turning a curve in the road, bringing us out of the forest and onto a stone road lined with small rocks painted like the heart set of playing cards. "I personally know the Spade Prince, he isn't such a bad fellow to spend a few days with until we can get to the Chess Kingdoms." My ears perked slightly, something brought to my wandering attention.

"Why are you doing this for me?"

"Mmmm, it seems we are here." Gryphon smiled brightly at a stout, white castle with red hearts all over it. "The Kingdom of Hearts. Let's go to the Duchess, shall we?"


	3. The Kingdom of Hearts

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own Alice in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass, any of their characters, Lewis Carol, the idea that this book is based of off, or any of you readers. However, I will steal you all one day._

"Alis, hmm?" The Duchess was short, fat, and was the ugliest old bat I'd ever seen. Her nose was as red as the hearts on the castle and her hat was simply absurd. Her dress consisted of rags of the finest fabrics, and her voice was nasally. "How do you know she's not Elizabeth? They look dreadfully alike." She tugged my poor dress and circled around me, picking up locks of my hair, poking my cheek, inspecting me.

"Because she says she isn't." Gryphon stole a smirking look to the Duchess, coming to my rescue and batting her away with a clawed hand.

"Well she can stay here until the coronation, but this will be the first place my sister's cronies look when they come searching about this awful place." The Duchess stopped to sip her tea, sneezing in the process. I darted out of the way out of the gushing hot liquid, but my nose twitched with the feeling of a sneeze as well. I plugged it the way Mary taught me and held my breath, eyes tearing slightly.

"What is in that tea, pepper?"

"Why, exactly." The Duchess had regained her stuffy demeanor and drank the remaining tea, not that there was much left in the bottom of the cup. I wrinkled my nose in distaste and settled into a small armchair to the right of the Duchess, opting not to look at her horrible face.

"I must take my leave. I shall see you soon, Duchess," he nodded to the Duchess curtly, "Alis." He smiled and sauntered out of the Duchess's little cottage within the castle walls, door closing without a sound behind him. The Duchess turned to me, face like the backside of a cow.

"So how do you feel about the marriage?" I sighed and settled in for a very long, boring conversation with the ugly woman beside me, answering her myriad of questions with a succinct "yes" or "no" before she shoved another inquiry in.

"Do you know the Prince of Spades?"

"No."

"Do you wish to be married?"

"No."

"Do you not love your mother?"

"Yes…?" I had no idea how to answer that one. First of all how does one answer to a question formed like that?

"I can't wait for this wedding!"

"I can."

"Why are you so sour all of a sudden?"

"Perhaps it's simply pre-wedding ner…"

"Oh can't you just see your wedding gown now?!" She interrupted me with her pig-like squeal.

"No."

The three hours passed all too quickly, or slowly. I heaved a sigh when the Duchess got up and looked at the clock, shuffling over and dragging me to the door, sneezing along the way.

"Good luck, little Princess!" She waved a blackened handkerchief at me while I uncertainly walked down the path, lost.

"I'll certainly need something more than luck…" I mumbled, turning right, then left after I hit a dead end.

"Elizabeth! Stop hiding at your aunt's house!" The Cheshire stormed over, looking more ruffled than I had ever seen her. I squeaked slightly and shrank back, avoiding her grasping fingers. "Come along!" I was hustled into a grand hall, up the hazardous, moving stone stairs, and into a small room where two, petite women with mousy hair and buck teeth stood stalking back and forth.

"Princess!" They said in unison, falling upon me with twitching fingers combing out my tangled hair.

"Hurry!" One chided the other, while they were bumping into each other.

"The coronation is starting in half an hour!" The other shot back, grabbing a clear liquid and attacking my head with it.

"What is this?" I glared, surprised at my reflection, which was slowly turning black under the maids' frantic fingers massaging the goo into my hair.

"It washes dye out of hair."

"This is my natural hair color…" I grumbled, sinking further into my seat. One maid busied herself with fixing my hair while the other cut free my ruined dress, leaving me in my tattered night gown I hadn't bothered to take off last night. I sighed, wondering how it had seemed so long ago since I had entered Wonderland, yet it hadn't been but a day.

The next few minutes were filled with the chatter of the maids, still tugging and stretching me into perfection. The only good thing that had come with it was that the oozing wound in my leg had been cleaned and bandaged.

"Arms over your head!" One tittered, not waiting before tugging a new dress over me and hoisting me to my feet to adjust the layers. This one had red heart and black spade charms littered across a checkered fabric. I frowned at its puffiness and rocked on my heels while the maids put on garish makeup. My reflection showed a girl with flowing, curled black hair, black lips, red lined and dotted eyes, and rosy cheeks. Was this Elizabeth?

"Come, come!" The two bustled me out and into Sebastian's care, where he led me down a hall too narrow for my dress. It squished against my legs painfully and a few of the charms fell off. My own little breadcrumb trail. I huffed at the sour thought and stepped into a large ballroom, too big for the castle. It was larger than the castle itself, I was sure. I frowned at the capacity of people the gargantuan room held; every seat was filled. The aisle leading up to the thrones was lined in red, set up with black petals as if it was a wedding. Of course, that's what it was. My stomach plummeted as I walked slowly forward, pushed by Sebastian, barefooted, sight downcast.

"Do you, Queen of Hearts, permit your daughter to marry the King of Spades' son to create an everlasting union between the two most powerful Card Kingdoms?" A huge booming voice startled me as soon as I stopped at the first stair. Sebastian had stopped walking, so I stayed stationary beside him, trembling slightly. I kept my eyes glued to the red and black littered carpet.

"I do." A manly voice echoed in my ears, making me wince. It couldn't belong to a queen's, certainly!

"Do you, King of Spades, permit your son to marry the Queen of Hearts' daughter to create an everlasting union between the two most powerful Card Kingdoms?" The first voice projected over me, making me feel smaller than an ant.

"I do!" Another deep, booming voice growled from the other side of me. I quickly took a small step backward, praying my dress had hidden the movement. One step at a time and I could be free from this place. Sebastian shuffled from my side, his feet disappearing from my peripheral vision. The room fell quiet as I felt millions of stares boring into my back.

Timidly, I drew my gaze up, not moving my head. Three stern faces greeted me. One wore a red heart crown on her head. One bore a black spade crown. The other seemed to be a bishop.

"Princess Elizabeth. Do you take Prince Jack to become your king?" The bishop asked, face stoic.

"I do…" I echoed dumbly, lowering my eyes once again, settling my vision on my folded hands.

"Prince Jack. Do you take Princess Elizabeth to be your queen?"

"I do." A steady voice sounded to my left, calm yet projecting.

"Let this union become official, under the permission of the Seven Great Kingdoms!" A polite clap thundered around the ballroom, the bishop bowed to the two royals before leaving, and an arm fastened itself around my own and walked me down the aisle, causing my breath to hitch.

"Have you just returned to Wonderland, Elizabeth?" The smooth voice was close to my ear so I could hear the question over the din of guests leaving the ballroom. I had no idea what to say, so a simple nod was the only answer he received. I was not Elizabeth, and I had just come to Wonderland, but I'd no idea about returning. I really am Alis. I repeated the mantra in my head; I had started to think that I actually was Elizabeth!

"I'm dreadfully sorry about this union. It's not an official marriage, you know." I heard the smile in his voice, but I couldn't help but grin at the ground, hopes soaring. I wasn't married to someone I didn't know. "My father and your mother were too hassled to request a bishop from the West, so one of the pawns took over," he continued, holding the door for me. I bobbed my head in curt gratitude and walked out into the white sun. I looked around what I suspected to be the castle gardens, noting that all the flowers were bright red roses.

"Well, I'd heard you were the quiet one of the kingdom but I didn't expect you to not speak at all." He chuckled slightly. I picked up on his attempt at small talk, so I decided to play along until I could find Gryphon and get on to the Chess Kingdoms. Certainly I didn't want to go alone.

"I am simply shocked." I stated honestly. It couldn't do to lie, but I didn't have to tell the total truth either.

"It turned out better than it could have been. My father's happy, your mother's happy, and we don't have to be married in truth. Not that I wouldn't want to marry a girl like you, but it is quite sudden." I hummed a response and trailed my eyes through the beautifully maintained plants and paths of the garden, breathing in the fresh air. I refused to look at my "husband," no matter how childish it seemed.

"I must go to the North soon, so I'll be able to leave you alone for quite some time without the kingdoms becoming suspicious."

"The North? Isn't that dangerous?" This time I graced him with lifting my head to see straight ahead, the most response he'd gotten from me yet.

"Yes, but the Seven Great Kingdoms have been biding their time and planning to establish a new kingdom whilst defeating the ever present threat of the northern creatures. That is where the union comes in, we'd be ruling it. I simply must go ahead of time and lead a scouting party to find a suitable place to construct the castle. Hopefully without running into the Mock Turtle, that is. The thing creeps me out half to death."

"Oh." I said simply. Thoughts of my fantastic favor struck me. I could be left alone. The Card Kingdom wouldn't bother my quest to the Chess Kingdom. I could go home, get to Mary. I'd never be late again, I swore myself. "When are you leaving?" More importantly, when could I leave?

"First thing tomorrow morning. I'm to show you to our new living quarters for now, blissfully two rooms, and then to pack. I do hope to talk more with you when I get back, however." He had stopped at a path in the middle of the garden and released my arm. By the sound of the rushing air, I assumed he had bowed. I curtsied slightly, eyes still to the ground.

"I shall see you in about a week's time, Elizabeth." With that I heard his steps fade away, so I spun on my heel and followed the path he showed me. Within it was a small cottage hidden amongst the rose bushes, bringing a smile to my face. It was simply lovely, and all mine for now. I walked into the slightly dark exterior, lit by only a candle. The sparse furnishing contained two armchairs, a little stove, and a fireplace. I walked into the door frame beyond the fireplace and found a quaint bedroom with a rather large bed.

"I could get used to this…" I flopped onto the red and black covers, hugging a white pillow to my chest. Soon I'd fallen asleep. My last thought was that I couldn't dream since I certainly was in one already.


End file.
